The makings of a new Chinese dissident controversy seemed nearly in place Friday when Wuer Kaixi, a prominent exile, planned to defiantly enter the Chinese embassy here to draw attention to Beijing’s treatment of its critics.

Vice President Joe Biden took a crack at solving the riddle of why about 40% of voters in the West Virginia Democratic primary earlier this month went for convicted felon Keith Judd rather than President Barack Obama.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told Georgetown University graduating public-policy students that heated debates over the relationship between religion and government are "a strength of our country, not a weakness."

The Romney campaign unveiled a new ad Friday telling voters what the candidate would do on his first day as president. The spot highlights his approval of a pipeline linking Canadian oil and gas producers to American refiners and his push for tax cuts.